For the Triumph of Goodness, Truth, and America

The Student Loan Crisis

Our pricing system for higher education in America is broken. The cost of college has skyrocketed to levels that almost defy belief, and immoral student loans have become the primary method of dealing with this cost. With over $1,400,000,000,000 in student loan debt, it is safe to say we have a crisis on our hands. Here’s how to fix the system.

First, Americans must acknowledge that no one has a right to a college education. Society owes us only the essentials, and a college education is not essential. It’s a luxury. People can and do make it just fine without a college education, so we must begin to see this wonderful opportunity for the privilege it is.

Next, we must do away with each and every federal student loan program. If private entities wish to assume the risk of loaning tens of thousands of dollars to mere kids, fine. But it is absolutely immoral for our federal government to back such irresponsible loans. Where a private entity is forced to pay any stupid-tax associated with their mistakes, the federal government simply passes the bill. The average American pays for Uncle Sam’s mistakes. This is wrong.

Once all federal student loan programs are halted, the price of college will plummet. Who can blame educational institutions for jacking up prices when the government promises to pay any amount? If this method of payment were thrown out the window, the market would drive down the cost. Businesses will charge what the market will pay.

For those perspective students seemingly left with no means of financing their education, it’s time to get to work. Remember that a college education is a luxury, and luxuries don’t come free. They must be earned. One option would be to put together a foolproof plan for achieving success. Bulk up a resume, detail said plan, and take it to the local credit union. Make the case, prove that success is imminent, and convince them to loan the money. This way, taxpayers are off the hook as private entities assume all the risk. This is how it should be.

But borrowing money is never really a good idea. There’s always a better option. In this case, there are several. Perhaps the best method of paying for college is for the perspective student to literally get to work. There is nothing preventing high school and even middle school students from earning an income, and this money can pay for their higher education. Does this sound silly? It shouldn’t. Consider that even a lousy job paying minimum wage would earn one over $15,000 a year. That sounds a lot like one year of college tuition.

And work doesn’t have to stop once the student enrolls in a college. Classwork is not all-consuming, and a full-time job is certainly manageable. Such a workload is tough, no doubt, but again we must remember that college is a luxury. Also, the typical college student is in the prime of his life. Long and grueling hours of work are definitely doable.

But what about the rest? Perhaps there are those unable to work or save the full amount of tuition. What options do they have? Well, one word can solve nearly all of these cases. Scholarships. If one is serious about paying for college without student loans, let him get to work applying for scholarships. This can become a full-time job by itself. American generosity has fueled so many scholarship funds that one could never apply for them all. A couple dollars here and a few dollars there can total the price of a college education.

And speaking of the price of a college education, why do we seem to choose the most expensive? Out-of-state tuition is always significantly higher, and it is always absolutely unnecessary. Every region of our nation provides a plethora of options for college. If we only chose from the ones within our budget, the student loan crisis would be solved.

And this is how we fix the system. Apply these methods, follow these steps, and solve the crisis. Understand, Americans, that our government is not going to take action here. They have intentionally created this mess by constantly pushing their immoral student loans, and we have unfortunately taken the bait. We’re on the road to serfdom–exactly as planned. When Americans are saddled by debt, we become slaves to our debtors. The student loan crisis is nothing more than a tool of a government attempting to lead its people to socialism.